Bizstory Blog

10 worst website mistakes

September 20, 2016

Have you made these?

Your website is your face, representing the best of who you are as a business. You are on the red carpet, so to speak, at all times. And you wouldn't wear a bare face on the red carpet (unless you're Alicia Keys) now would you? You want to make the 'hot' list, and not the 'not' list.

From unkempt website content to visual disasters, here's what not to do.

10 worst website mistakes:

1. Too much content. Don't let your readers get bored; be concise. For example, don't have your important information 'below the fold', meaning users have to scroll extensively to reach it.

2. Too little content. By the same token, it's difficult to pull off ‘minimalist’. You still want prospects to understand who you are and exactly what you offer.

3. Content is missing keywords. Without SEO, your content is not easy to find. Educate yourself on SEO basics and optimise your copy. Tip: Many websites are missing keywords in their titles and URLs.

4. Tricky navigation. Don't get people confused and lost on your site. User experience is an important part of customer perception. The biggest culprit here is when it comes to contact details. Make it obvious where and how to contact you: in menu bars, side bars, footers – wherever possible!

5. Narrative voice. What perspective are you writing from and who are you addressing? It's easy to unwittingly switch between 'you', and 'our customers', for example. Choose a voice and stick to it. We recommended choosing 'we' and 'you', for a personal tone.

6. Too much jargon. We could tell you that we are a “digital aid to your communications”, which would be true. But what does that mean?! Instead we could just tell you we offer digital copywriting services.

7. All website and no brand. Your brand image should be noticeable and distinct, and should reflect your business story. Do those bright colours, screeds of information, or outdated images truly represent you?

8. Slow to load. Buffering, buffering... every spin of that 'loading' wheel, is half a second away from users clicking away for your website. The biggest cause of slow loading is having too many images and graphics at too high a resolution.

9. Typos. Check your spelling and grammar! In content marketing, mistakes are a sign of carelessness. And considering that your website is your 24/7 representative, you want your best on show. Tips and techniques for avoiding errors here.

10. No link to your social media. A website is an excellent house for information, but rarely is it a space where customers interact and engage with your brand. Linking to social media means the potential of widening your voice and reach, through social sharing.

Feeling red carpet ready? Or perhaps you'd like to know if your website needs a tidy up in any of these areas? You can check the strengths and weaknesses of your website with our One Minute Audit SEO tool. Or contact us if you would like a “digital aid to your communications” (that's “copywriting services” without the jargon).